This is a fantastic early Missouri War Axe Tomahawk dating to circa 1820-1840. The tomahawk head is blacksmith hand-forged iron in the typical large flaring triangular-shaped blade with outstanding punch dot and four-point morning star punch stamp engraved. The head also shows hand filed lines. The term "Missouri War Axe" was coined by American Indian weapons collectors to describe this style of tomahawk. They were first discovered by Lewis & Clark on their 1804-1805 expedition financed by Thomas Jefferson, which sent them exploring up the upper Missouri River basin. Meriwether Lewis wrote about these weapons and sketched one in his journal, stating that the local Indians were fervently requesting the expedition blacksmith to make additional examples for them. He went as far as to state that it was the only item the Indians were willing to trade corn, grain and other expedition necessities for and that manufacture, and trade of additional axes is what solely got the explorers through the winter of 1805. Only a small handful of tribes were known to have used this style of tomahawk and in only one specific region. They were made in small numbers, making early surviving examples such as this extremely rare and historically important. Punch dot engravings such as this have been documented as an early featured according to tomahawk scholars Peterson, Francis, Baldwin, and Hartzler & Knowles. The tomahawk has a nice solid wood haft handle with “Osage” orange with a nice, shiny smooth patina with some minor cracks and wear from true age and use. The head is secured to the haft with hardened buckskin gaskets at the tear drop eyelet hole. The bottom of the haft has a serrated “staircase” cut, another art featured documents on early Missouri War Axes from pre-1850 such as the outstanding example offered by our company in January 2018 being a Missouri War Axe from the Hidatsa dating to circa 1800 with the same serrated staircase-style cut bottom end. The piece is likely from the Osage or Otoe in origin and dates to pre-1850. The piece is paired with a later added hide beaded and fringed dangle drop attached to a small-pierced hole that hangs overall 16 inches. The beadwork has colors of chalk white, greasy light blue, cobalt, and Cheyenne pink along with two brass trade tacks. Provenance: The piece was purchased at the Las Vegas Antique Weapons Show in the early 1990’s by Dale Harrison of Cincinnati, Ohio. The head overall measures 9 inches long by 5 inches wide and overall the tomahawk is 23 inches long without the drop.